Excelsior! a My Hero Academia Story
by Requiemofadad
Summary: Adrian Greene is an 18 year old kid trying his hardest to become a hero in America! despite the fact that his quirk just lets him tell time... is that enough to become a legend? with unlikely help from a pro, and a lot of grit, Adrian is the best hope the Excelsior College's got!
1. Chapter one: Times a Wasting!

Chapter one: Times a Wasting!

Adrian stared impassively at the paper before him, his request to be allowed to attend a Hero Course had been denied again. The rest of the class around him were abuzz with excited shouting and passing around acceptance letters. Adrian scowled, crumpling up the letter which at the top read, 'Thank you for applying!'

It was difficult to get a Hero License in America. Unlike in other countries where there is a generalized curriculum for Hero work, in America there is a large and constant presence of Vigilantism. The schools that were made during the governments first attempt at incorporating Hero work were being bought under the table and giving licenses to incapable people who were just comic book wannabes. It doesn't help that 'Quirks' are protected under the second Amendment. The amount of quirk related homicides in America compared to other countries is in the upper thirtieth percentile. All in all, the restrictions are tighter. So, unless you can make it to the top schools in New York, or California? Your chances at being accredited are low.

He sighed briefly before taking out a small notebook, flipping through the pages until a mess of scribbled out schools splayed the page, "Evolution Academy for the Heroic Arts, denied." Clicking his pen. Before he could set the book down, a stocky teen slapped his back sending the pages fluttering into the desk with a loud snap.

"Adrian! My main man! How you been?" Adrian opened his mouth before being cut off," right right well hey Adrian you wouldn't happen to know the time in Hong Kong right now would ya? I've been DYING to go and gotta know the time zone change before I even think of making plans, right?" The boy sneered as the room quickly changed into snickering.

Adrian stood up quickly, beginning to pack his bag," it's 10:58 PM and before you ask, no I don't know what the weather is like so shut the fuck up David." The class of other twelfth grade seniors quickly began backing away from the Aforementioned David, whispering amongst themselves. Adrian went to move away from his seat when a Gun Barrel pressed itself under his jaw, David's right arm having contorted itself into a mess of steal barrels and chains. "Oh c'mon Wristwatch, don't give me that shit. We both know you don't have the genes to talk to your betters like that..." A hammer clicked into position. "So why don't you sit down and quit making a full of yourself."

Adrian's eyes were hardened like the steel that pushed into his chin. Several seconds went by before a cool smirk slowly playing across his lips. "Of course, only to stop that ego of yours from coming full circle and sending you to prison David, I'm sorry." Putting his hands in the air and Sitting back down.

The bell rang from across the classroom. David laughed, and as he did so the rest of the class began to liven up again before he rested his left arm around Adrian's shoulders," That's what I love about you Adrian! You're always good for a laugh. You're smart though, I respect that. you got a good understanding that that brain?" Tapping Adrian's curly black hair," it's all you're good for." David's breath hot against Adrian's neck. He sauntered back to his group of friends punching the shoulder of one of the football team before sitting down with them.

Adrian clenched his fists under his desk thinking to himself, "_Oh keep talking David, just cuz you've got a local gang's fist up your ass doesn't mean you're_ _shit_." The nickname wristwatch ringing in his ears. Adrian knew his quirk was mundane; So, did everyone else at Silverado Heights high school. Not everyone is born with their muscle fibers being able to turn into guns, how that genetically even works is beyond him. Instead of trying to uplift people this school just sets out to bring anyone who didn't have lasers for eyes down and he's been dealing with it for- his mind taken out of him as the world began to stutter around him.

A common side effect of his quirk that started when he was born. His mother is an Enhancement type that let her body become frictionless, and his father? Adrian shook his head; well he gets the 'chrono-omniscience' from him. Every now and again it seemed like time would just glitch up or freeze altogether for him. Of course, he couldn't control this part of his quirk, something about a strange interaction between his mother's quirk and his father's sensory, making him 'slide' out of time. So says the doctors anyway. To other people it would look like he was warping around, but since it was entirely random it was classified as a 'defective byproduct.' He didn't think much of it anymore, tapping on the wood of his table, before looking over at David's slow motioned kicking back on his desk. It took all of half a second before he sprung to action when time stopped completely during his current bout of stuttering. "_Please be enough time, please be enough time_." Adrian made a mad dash out of his seat and tore fast toward David's chair, David's lips pursed around an F while he rocked back and forth. "_Perfect_" Adrian grinned and set to work, pushing at the immovable chair with all his might. He couldn't change the properties of things suspended, but he could add kinetic energy to them. After doing so with a handful of shoves he took off back to his chair, right before time stuttered back into existence and the door to class Conveniently opened. A scene of David being thrown to the floor and skidded several aisles back toward the wall by his chair greeted the homeroom teacher with a screeching teen almost the same pitch as the chair, roaring the class into tears. Adrian couldn't hold back from smiling while a freaked-out David scurried back to his chair embarrassed. His friends voicing apologies before being slapped around by a flamingly angry human-Gundam. "Little victories.." Adrian thought amused opening his notebook.

Homeroom starting up in full swing meant that Mr. Lautrec was back from one of his many daily smoke breaks, coughing violently as he entered the classroom. "Good after -cough cough- noon class, today as all of you are-cough- aware," he pulled at his dress shirt collar spitting into a not so discrete handkerchief," is field trip day! The last one of your high school careers, I might add."

A boy with shaggy hair dressed in a hemp hoodie rose his hand, Jason being the official student body president. "Yo Lautrec? If its another trip to Hoover Dam can we maybe skip it this year? I got like, thirteen scholarship applications I gotta do today man."

A number of other people voiced their agreement before being unceremoniously cut short by a wave of coughing by the teacher, " Now-cough cough- I know that Hoover dam isn't exactly the, uh, " his eyes reaching Jason's, "Hip place to be, but-cough- it's a landmark of the innovation of this countries development and- "

Jason's hand gave a smooth wave as he started in again, green eyes lulled into boredom. "Mr. Lautrec, my dude, I think I speak for all of us here that, if you want to show us a," His voice suddenly altering to match Lautrec's exactly "Hip all-American technological marvel!" Mr. Lautrec's face grew red as the back of the class made up of a handful of girls giggled. Jason cleared his throat returning to normal, "Then this schools assists should be like, directed to the new Quirk development lab near the strip am I right?" Adrian's head perked up from his school list and he suddenly became hopeful.

The Quirk Unilateral Actuation Complex, or Q.U.A.C (No end in sight for the media's relentless mockery) was new and state of the art in Las Vegas, Nevada. The lead scientist, Dr. Warwick, was rumored to have worked in Area 51 and transitioned into the private research sector after revealing classified data to an unofficial source. Or so all the tabloids keep repeating every time the center is brought up on the news. He thought back to one of the interviews with the doctor:

_A loud fanfare plays as the camera zooms about the room, a small banner below the scene listing crime rates increasing and local headlines. A preppy blond news anchor appears sitting on a red sofa and zoomed in. _

"_We're coming to you live from LVCN with the mastermind behind the multi-million-dollar quirk lab opening up just five miles outside of the Las Vegas Strip! Tell us Dr. Warwick what are you and your staff of scientists working to accomplish at the, uh Q.U.A.C?" _

_A small snicker can be heard off screen. _

_An extremely small woman is panned to across from where the smiling reporter is sitting. A small head of yellow feathers adorned her, and claws laid gently across a rumpled lab coat. _

"_Yes, thank you, the Quirk Unilateral Actuation Complex is focusing primarily on where quirks come from in relation to the brain, and on finding that one key that will allow us to unlock the genetic interplay between parents and their offspring regarding quirks." she stood up on the seat cushion raising her arm. "it is the hope of me and my colleagues that one day the world will know where their powers come from, and how we can tap into it for its full potential!" Her excitement causing the feathers on her head to suddenly stand on edge. _

_The doctor's feathers ejected in every direction causing the reporter to duck, and the camera to veer for a second. Dr. Warwick can be heard off stage apologizing profusely before a 'technical difficulties screen.' Plays across Adrian's tv. _

Adrian's mind drifted to the possibility of them being able to reverse which parent he got his quirk from; he knew that with his mothers he could probably get it to work as a Hero. "anything but being king of the time zones." He muttered defeated. The rest of the class, in the meantime, had been putting a lot of pressure on Mr. Lautrec to change the field trip location. It had reached such a point that the whole class was swarmed around him as he clung to a file cabinet. Adrian moved over to Jason from his seat, "you proud of yourself? You've incited a riot. That doesn't seem like a very presidential thing to do."

Jason shrugged his shoulders and looked up, putting his hand on his face and lamenting, "Hey when they said by the people for the people, I didn't think about the consequences. Like my hands are tied." He glanced at the mob; they were currently playing catch with Mr. Lautrec's world globe. Sighing he stood up and said, "watch this dude." With a short cough, Jason brought his hand to his throat and in the Principle's voice yelled, "WHAT IN THE HELL OF HIGH WATERED BULLSHIT ARE YOU KIDS DOING TO MY TEACHER!?" the reaction was clear and immediate. The whole class scattered like ants while David and his group cackled with the state of Mr. Lautrec' Attire. Disheveled and gasping for air.

As the last student reached their chair Mr. Lautrec padded his forehead with his handkerchief (much to the disgust of the class) and took a step forward. "Ehem, uh, thank you -cough cough- Jason for the intervention and," his eyes glancing around at the pack of wolves licking their chops, "and! Also, for -cough- the marvelous suggestion of a change of venue. I think that's a great idea. We'll leave after your second and third classes. Prepare during -cough- lunch and we'll meet at the arts building by the bus stop." Finishing by hacking into his napkin. All at once the class erupted, paper flying around the room as handfuls of classmates congregated to discuss the new trip arrangements. At which point Mr. Lautrec had lost full control of the class, and the only semblance of order left was Jason calmly passing around seating order sheets for the bus he had apparently already whipped up prior to the class. Adrian packed up his bag and waited for the bell to ring, a sense of determination filling his being. "_I'm going to become a hero, I'm going to make it to a college I want, and this decides it!"_

**Adrian Greene! **

**QUIRK**: Chronal-Omniscience! **HN**: ClockTower

Allows him to know the time of any location in the world!

**Affiliations**: Senior, Silverado Highschool.

**Birthday**: 11/27

**Blood Type**: A-

**Likes**: Moco Locos


	2. Chapter two: A Trip Begins!

Chapter two: A trip begins!

Second and third period dragged by painfully with Adrian spending most of that time tapping on his desk and counting the seconds in his head. "One, two, three, fuck four.. cmon.." His thoughts grasping at anything other then the wait till lunch and the trip. Putting his hands behind his head and leaning into the table. Eventually Adrian's mind settled into thinking about his transition to Silverado Heights growing up. He had moved to Henderson after his father had finally gotten a break with an accounting firm. Before that they had lived in Las Vegas proper, in an apartment complex on Balzar Ave. His mother, Tanya was constantly trying to make ends meet by delivering packages. While Ryan, his father, was unemployed and desperately searching for work his entire childhood. He loved both his parents very much; thinking back with a smile on all the times his dad would dance while cleaning and the many 'Tuna Mac!' Nights. The English teacher across the room of Adrian's class continued to drone on as he fiddled back into his notebook, a stern look encompassing his face. Flipping to the back of the book, he thumbed gently on a faded news clipping tapped to the back cover. Its headline read, 'Local man is shot during an attempted robbery of a Las Vegas home.'

That part of the city wasn't a good part of town. he knew that with how many locks his mom had installed on the door. He just never expected that his poor family would be a target for an armed robbery. Adrian's eyes narrowed as he gripped his knee. he hadn't seen it coming. they were in the living room watching T.V. when out of the corner of his eye he noticed a shadow pass by the main rooms window. His mother had noticed it too and the world shook as the glass shattered around him. Tanya yelling as she slid to shield him with her back. Adrian couldn't see much from behind his mother, but he could hear it. The sound of his father fighting an attacker while his mother raced him behind the kitchen counter, telling him to stay put. A string of gunshots echoing around the house mixed with the cries of his dad. The whole altercation took exactly three minutes and twelve seconds. After the noises died down, he had peered his head over the counter only to wish he hadn't. The burglar who had burst through the window was gone, and his father was pressed against the wall holding his side. Blood splatter covering the wall behind him. That image seared into Adrian's mind like a branding iron, his father gasping for air and clutching a bleeding stomach. His mother crying on the phone with the police while she ripped at her shirt for a makeshift bandage.

The cops arrived and took Adrian's father to the ER. He was shot four times in roughly the same spot of his torso. It took ten hours of surgery to get the bullets out and try and repair the damage to his spine. All the while Adrian was next to his mom, both in shellshock. Finally, after the surgery and several days of medically induced coma they were able to see him again. He lost one of his kidneys that was beyond repair, and he would have some nasty scars along his stomach and side. His father was weak, and his eyes were sunk in when he could see visitors again. It was through Ryan though that the worst news came. They wheeled him out on a wheelchair, and that's where he's remained since the incident. A constant reminder of what some awful human being with a gun could do. They never found the person responsible. After that life took a turn for the better when one of Adrian's fathers friends helped him get a job with an accounting company. Moved them into a pretty house off Pebble road, and enrolled Adrian into Silverado heights for his freshman year. From that moment on though Adrian's conviction was turned to wishing, desperately, that there had been a hero in that moment.

The bell signaling the end of third period sounded off, knocking Adrian out of his trance. He had spent close to the whole period lost in memories and shook his head. "That's never going to happen again, that's what I'm working towards, that's who ill become." He muttered to himself closing the book with a snap. His shoulders set and tense picking up his bags to head out to the cafeteria. Making his way through the hallways, he passed by David who shot him a fake smile and pointed him out to a couple of the girls he was with. The sound of faint laughter made Adrian's eyes roll. "One of these days David." He thought bitterly. Lifting his bag up higher on his back. At one point in their life, David was a good friend to Adrian. That was back before they both moved to the wealthier side of town, and before David had developed a superiority complex about it.

The Cafeteria in Silverado Heights was about what you'd expect from a higher end High school, clean metal tables and a big lunch line. Adrian moved toward his usual haunt sitting down at the tables next to the gym doors. He took a mental note that Jason wasn't there, probably preparing for the trip and approving it with the Principle since he kind of strong-armed Mr. Lautrec into it as their trip advisor. He opened his backpack and pulled out a dented lunchbox with a scratched-up Batman logo imprinted on the front. His dad had given it to him when he was ten, and something about the old metal box made his chest warm. Old style superheroes fell out of favor when quirks started popping up. Something about actual people who could fly, and freeze things put a damper on the whole industry. That never stopped Adrian from finding some enjoyment from the burned CD copies of the Justice league he kept in dresser at home. Safe from prying eyes that could judge. Lifting the latch, he was greeted with an egg salad sandwich and some honeydew wrapped in saran wrap. Digging in as he pondered the trip. "Maybe I'm putting to much thought into it," he admitted to himself. "It's not like the Q.U.A.C has made any breakthroughs yet, it just finished being built a month ago.." taking a bite of his sandwich he looked up at the line slowly winding down, now only accommodating some of the larger Mutation types who had to wait to eat due to their size. One of said people began hunkering toward him, a tall woman with four large arms rippling with muscles. "Hey Shiva, what's on the menu today?" Adrian said in between bites.

The girl in question set down her tray with two hands, while her other two were busy pulling back her red hair into a ponytail. Sitting cross legged on the floor next to the table. "It's Valerie till I become a hero, Shiva is too badass a name for a high school student and a big heaping plate of nachos!" she stuck her tongue out looking at her prized mound, pausing as Her freckled face pursed with disappointment, "Speaking of hero stuff, I heard about Evolutions.. I'm sorry that you didn't get accepted."

Adrian's face shot up, half filled with bread and egg, "mmHowm Dirph youphmKnow!?"

Valerie Laughed covering her face with one of her hands, "Chew Adrian, gross."

He swallowed quickly and put his fist on the table, "fuck me, it was David wasn't it? Snuck a look at my letter before I chucked it!" Adrian threw his hands in the air, "he's so petty all the time! I don't get it Val it doesn't do shit other then start trouble and- ".

Valerie jutted in quickly, "now hold on! good working theory wise guy, but actually it was Jason. Told me you would be kinda low today."

Adrian dead panned mouthing an 'O' as he slumped forward into the table grumbling, "dammit.. tell Jason I said thanks for the comfort sending but next time he should tell me first." Valerie patted his shoulder twice and began digging into her cheese drenched tortilla strips with a vengeance. The rest of lunch was spent with Adrian counting the minutes in his head, and Val finishing her food while talking about her wrestling tournament she was in the night prior.

"So, there I was, holding the guy down with all the force I could when I swear to god, he starts getting spikey!" gesturing out with her hands, amber eyes widening. " This was the first time he had used his quirk the whole tournament, it wasn't like suuupper spikey, but more like little barbs. i didn't want to touch those right? So, I jumped off and got into another ready stance." Getting up on her feet and spreading them wide getting lower to the ground. "Now normally quirks like that aren't allowed in tournaments for obvious reasons, but in my head, I was like, 'I can take him' so I didn't say anything."

"and then?" Adrian cocked an eye amused.

"and then I thought, 'well if I cant touch him…' and opened up his guard when he rushed in again, swinging my two lower arms to pick him up only touching his shirt, and using my other to arms to put him into a collar choke hold slamming him down on the mat!" Valerie folded her lower arms with a smug look.

Adrian paused and said, "that a Jiu-jitsu hold? Isn't that illegal in Wrestling?"

Valerie coughed and looked down rubbing her neck, "Uh yeah I got disqualified." she looked up quickly, "but he tapped out and I kicked his ass! That's all that matters! Strength and discipline overrules all!" her arms pumped up and walking back and forth wooing.

Adrian chuckled and shook his head, "you're crazy Val."

The lunch bell rang out suddenly during Val's display and they quickly began to pack up their things. Valerie smiled broadly standing a good two feet above Adrian, "See you on the bus? They have me sitting in the back because of my height, but you and Jason are sitting in the row in front of me?"

Adrian glanced quickly at the bus sitting chart and nodded putting it back in his notebook. "Yeah looks like it, ill see you in a few val." They bumped fists and Valerie walked away to get some things from her locker while Adrian headed toward the art building.

Upon reaching the gate and passing around toward the bus stops, Adrian noticed that most of the class wasn't there yet. It was just Mr. Lautrec, Principle Dean, and Jason mulling outside of a pricey looking charter bus. Getting closer he could her a particularly distasteful set of words from the principle followed by a nonchalant shrug by Jason. The principle sighing and turned to leave. Giving Adrian a nod before exiting back through the gates where several students quickly made their way to the sidewalk. Jason turned to the growing crowd and began directing everyone to single file lines based on seating order. "Alright Dudes and Grills, you know the drill! Make your way to the side of the bus as I call your name." pausing as the talking subsided leaving Jason to his devices. David would be sitting up by some of his friends in the first row, along with the teacher and the rest of the students filling out the middle to Adrian, Val, and Jason in the back. '_probably because Jason wanted the best air-conditioning,'_ Adrian thought amused.

After twenty-two minutes of boarding (not in small thanks due to the delays created by some rough housing kids at the front of the line) Adrian made his way up the stairs and thanked the bus driver before moving down the aisle. Sidestepping a lazily outstretched foot from David who just grinned daggers up at him. Sitting gently next to Jason who moved some his laptop bag off the chair for him, "How you liking that sweet sweet air man?" shaking his sandy blond hair out in front of the exposed vent above them. 'Knew it' Adrian confirmed with a smirk.

"it's good Jason, perfect presidential suite for you and your bodyguard." Making a thumb back toward Val who just blushed and punched his arm.

Jason shrugged and put his hands behind his head. "Executive privileges my dude, executive privileges.." winking back at Val with a mischievous green eye just as the bus began to move.

The first ten minutes or so was spent just enjoying the ride, until Jason made a clicking sound with his tongue and opened his laptop bag. Starting up the Omni-cast brand machine with a soft whirring sound. "Yo Adrian, you know why I wanted to go to the Q.U.A.C?" he asked clicking open some tabs with his finger. Adrian puzzled over it for a second and shook his head no, eliciting Jason to spin his laptop around facing Adrian, "I didn't think so, been keeping it real hush hush." The website illuminated on the screen revealed a news article with a few pictures involving heroes coming into and out of the facility during its opening. "They did tours of the facility a month-ish ago when the site first opened right? So, I did some digging and found out one of their grant funders was the Nevada State Hero Corps. Like nothing new there that was a given, except!" he pointed proudly at one of the pictures showing a hero. He was dressed in Red and brown fatigues armored with gold plates and jets on his arms and legs. His face half covered with a visor and a large grin facing out toward the camera.

Adrian immediately recognized the hero as 'Rush Hour! the Multiplying Speed hero!' and Nevada State Hero Representative. Every state in the U.S. had its own Hero Corps, and every state elected one hero to serve as their representative. It was a big showy affair with the Hero having had to make significant contributions to the state in order to be elected. Rush Hour had single handedly dismantled the human trafficking trade in Nevada, as well as broke up several crime bosses that ruled the underground. The event that propelled him to State Rep however, was the 'Falling glass' incident. Where during a routine demolition event for one of the Las Vegas Casinos, the Mandalay bay, a group of villains had reorganized the charges to make the building fall left instead of straight down. Which would have killed thousands of tourists. Rush Hour had cranked his speed up to x50 and managed to disarm all the charges, taking down thirteen villains in the process. This exhaustion of his quirk however had put him in a fatigue induced coma for three days, at which point upon waking he was recognized on behalf of the state. Publicized throughout the U.S. as a 'Hero of great Honor!'

Adrian looked confused but nodded, "of course I know who Rush Hour is Jason, its Rush hour?"

Jason shook his head vigorously, "Yes! And like you know what he's been tasked to do again this month?" Adrian and Val looked at each other and shrugged, causing Jason to put his hand to his nose and gesture wildly to the screen. "Rush Hour is going to be touring the facilities again this month, and that day? Dude that day is today!" this perked both of the friend's attentions as they pondered what that means. Jason went on by pulling out a couple of papers. "State rep Heroes are allowed to apply people for super special grants man, if they think they're on the level." He passed the two laminated pages to Val and Adrian. Gesturing down at them, "In my extra professional opinion? You two deserve to get that sweet juicy grant money, my hero dudes."

Adrian stared wide eyed at the beautifully crafted appeal letter. He looked up at Jason who had a massive shit eating grin, "Dude, Jason, I… Jesus man I could kiss you right now." Valerie gave a small grunting noise and Adrian stumbled, "oh uh, sorry, this is just the nicest thing that's happened to me all year. I couldn't appreciate you more right now."

Jason snickered and gave Val a nod who was also beside herself, "You're just a handful of years too late my dude," he joked giving Adrian a playful shrug.

Valerie scanned through her Appeal letter and noted, "how did you get all this information? This is really detailed. Birthdates, quirks, and some sweet talking exploits sure but.." slapping the page with one of her upper arms, " how the fuck did you get my height, weight, and blood type?!"

Adrian scanned through the page and recognized those details as well, "wait yeah dude what the fuck!?" a surprised laugh of confusion as they both started to read it more carefully.

Jason only put a finger to his lips and said, "Trade secrets of the prez fam. That's all you need to know."

His half-assed response about to be questioned when Mr. Lautrec's loud coughing emanated the bus, "alright -cough cough- class! We're about to reach the Complex! Please remain in your seats until we can unload the -cough- front rows and leave the bus in single file!" turning around to push back through the aisle to his seat.

The three friends looked at each other excited and started putting their stuff together

"This has got to work! Ill put all my hands to work on him if it doesn't!"

"relax Val, its gonna work, I spent like four hours on each of yours."

"Oh, sure and time is the best indicator of success Jason?"

Jason stopped and tussled Adrian's hair, "only for you Dude, knock'em into another time zone."

They laughed as the bus pulled to a complete stop outside a shiningly modern metal building where three doctors waited outside. Eager to give this Rush Hour everything they got!

**Valerie Cook!**

**QUIRK**: Amazonian! **HN**: Shiva

Born with four arms and obscene strength and size!

**Affiliations**: Senior, Silverado High school.

**Birthday**: 2/13

**Blood type**: O-

**Likes**: Throwing People


	3. Chapter three: A QUAC Spectacle!

Chapter Three: A Q.U.A.C Spectacle!

Emptying the bus took little to no time with most of the Seniors itching to get the tour started. Fidgeting bodies were awkwardly lined up next to the bus waiting for the cue from their teacher. Meanwhile Jason had already waved to his friends and begun the head count from the front, getting back to work as the student body president. Adrian's teeth were chattering with excitement as his eyes took in the massive domed Research lab. For how state of the art it was, it had only taken a little under six months to build and was said to house some of the best Quirk scientists in the world. The long shafts of light that sparkled off the aluminum plated roof shone outwards reflecting the sky and clouds. Cutting into Adrian's thoughts was Val nudging him the shoulder as he just noticed Mr. Lautrec was talking. "- and as such with this being a highly secure -cough- facility! You will all act like the adults that you are. Is that clear?"

A roar of "Yes sir!" rang from the crowd. The line moving toward the three doctors waiting at the top steps. Climbing up the stone, Adrian recognized the doctor in the front as being Dr. Chutes. A slender older woman who was clutching her clipboard hard against her chest, a fake smile beaming down at them. The only reason He recognized her was because she had come to the High school science fair to adjudicate a couple of years prior during his sophomore year. She had given his planetary model a D for disappointing and lowered it to an F after he had accidentally flung Uranus into her head.

Stopping at the top his face was a dead pan of sweating bullets. _'oh, she hated me. Dammit ok I'm sure she doesn't remember.' _he internalized for just a moment before looking up at her face again; pure knives pierced his chest. _'SHE REMEMBERS' _

"OK! My name is Doctor Maria Chutes. Hello senior class of Silverado Heights High school! Who's ready to explore an incredible and dynamic science research facility!?" Dr. Chutes yelled bubbly into his class.

"We are Ma'am!" echoing back as she moved down the line.

She went on, "Perfect! Then as you know this was a last-minute phone call from your principle as a goodbye present to you before you leave his school." Getting closer and closer to Adrian who began to visibly shake,_ 'C'mon I can eat nails with anyone! C'mon Adrian focus fo-' _ the doctor stopping directly in front of him. fiery red eyes punched into him like a heavy weight boxer, "So I expect all of you to be on your best behavior, _and not break anything_, understand?"

Adrian could feel his soul leaving his body while mumbling along a "understood" with the loud responses of the other students. Val sticking out her tongue and giggling over his reaction.

Dr. Chutes paused for a second and then seemed to have accepted his fear as payment before starting in again. "Perfect! Now go ahead and follow Dr. Krammer over there," the scientist on the left gave a brief wave with a seven fingered hand. She continued "and I hope very much that you become inspired by the research you witness today! Ill meet with you at the end of the tour for a Pop quiz of some of the notable features of the building!" An audible groan arose from somewhere in the middle of the line at the thought of a test following a field trip, but most of the class was pushing and shoving at themselves to follow Dr. Krammer faster into the now open sliding doors.

Jason regrouped with them as they entered the darkened foyer and through that to a clinical hallway filled with cameras, Mr. Lautrec passing a 'no talking' whisper down the line. Snuffing out the last of the conversations dwindling in the crowd. The doctor raised his hand informing the class to stop, pointing at a handful of signs at the wall forbidding the use of flash photography and recording devices. A raspy voice began rattling off said list of rules in the background.

The three started to quickly whisper amongst themselves, "remember guys, focus on keeping your eyes out for the big dude Rush Hour? I got us this far with finding out he was gonna be here." Jason pointing to their bags where the appeal letters stuck out slightly.

The two nodded vigorously and Adrian shrugged, "With any luck he'll be in his normal Hero Outfit which will make him stick out like a sore thumb."

"Exactly." Val interjected and pulled out her phone. A promotional picture of Rush Hour! posing almost in an upward dog at the start of a track field illuminated across the screen. "Big, red and gold, and obnoxious. Got it."

The boys stifled a laugh and turned their attention back to their tour guide who had just finished a soapbox about how the preservation of privacy in science is of the upmost importance. "ehem, and now that that's taken care of let me introduce all you bright youths to the wonders of the Quirk Unilateral Actuation Complex!" swiping a key card through the reader and leading them in.

The doors opened onto a viewing deck that lead to the elevators and the stairs. A very open marble floor stretched out in a rounded sheen beneath them and looking up revealed the massive high-rise ceiling that had more screens on it then Adrian could count. Valerie's mouth stood ajar as her head whipped back and forth to take it in. several domes of translucent glass blocked off testing areas, and a large force of scientists were buzzing around like white flowy bees. Exercise equipment, targets, a large lap pool in one of the chambers, and desk upon desk filled the whole breadth of their vision. In the middle of it all was a water fountain that seemed to be defying physics and flowing backwards, with the water jumping back into the pipes from the basin below. The response from the class was to clamor and break the line into a large mound of students straining to look on at the place below the railings. "Now hold on! Please I know it's a lot to take in but do not lean on the railing!" Dr. Krammer pleaded as his fingers extended out and around the mass of young adults. Eventually getting all the stragglers who were almost jumping off the railing to calm down. "This is the observation deck; much of the complex is underground as you can see. The purpose of the dome is to be able to project data you can glance at anywhere in the building. As well as to simulate a day night cycle, as all of our staff live on site." He explained tapping at a small screen on his hand, a waving hand emoji played off across the entirety of the dome. Some of the more excited students waved back at the ceiling, gaining a gruff laugh from David across the room.

The tour guide coughed once and continued, "There are three levels to this facility, level one is where we are right now. Housing our small foyer for press conferences and above ground access. Level two is what you're looking at right now below. That is our research and development labs, and where all the magic happens. Below that in a wing that isn't visible is our living quarters in level three, but we won't be visiting that part of the complex due to some of our Doctors working graveyard shifts." He pointed to the elevators and pressed the down button with his other hand. "Now again I must stress that this is a scientific research lab, so be quiet and courteous as our guests. Enter the elevator in groups of five and I will be going down with the first group to maintain order. I'm sure your teacher is capable enough to... where Is your teacher?" a quick check of the group confirmed that he was not present.

Jason raised his hand and spoke clearly, "Mr. Lautrec has a smoking habit my guy, guess he couldn't go without one anymore. I'm a Student Council rep though, I'm sure I can keep the peace." Pulling out a clipboard from his laptop bag he scribbled in a rough head count of the class head headed toward the doctor.

"This is highly unprecedented but given that he at least went back outside..." the doctor looked at the composure of his stride while he went around to the groups of friends and counted heads. "I'll go ahead defer this task to your representative then. I'll leave with the first group now." Stepping into the now open steel car while the first five students rushed in to meet him. Nodding curtly to Jason who gave him a cheesy hang ten.

Adrian looped his thumbs into his pockets, leaning against the railing while he waited for his turn to get into the elevators. Val having gone off to talk with some of her wrestling buddies she was with at the mandatory practice meeting this morning during homeroom. He sighed and unzipped his backpack removing his small spiraled notebook and turning it to a new page. Taking notes of the surroundings below. '_Exercise equipment to test physical quirks, stress clamps for testing durability... is that a cow?_' stuttered out of his thought in bewilderment. Sure enough there was a cow in one of the testing rooms chewing absentmindedly on hay. '_uh. Huh. Fuck Yep, that's a cow. Maybe trying to find a correlation between quirks and animal development?' _he shook his head and doodled in a little cow next to a tiny doctor with a magnifying glass. Just as he finished the drawing, he heard grinding metal and whipped around to see David pointing his arm barrel out toward the cow. Clicking a bullet into the chamber.

"think I can hit it from here wristwatch?"

"Jesus David, what did that cow do to you?"

David shrugged, "eh nothing, just hungry. Maybe making a scene like exploding cheeseburger down there will wake this place up."

Adrian ran his hand through his hair rolling his eyes at his bully of the past four years, "A scene? Yes. I didn't know you were into shit like animal cruelty. Maybe you should talk to your anger management therapist about that?"

David raised his eyebrow and shook his head, "_funny."_ Converting his raised metallic arm back into the usual thickness of his forearm muscle and giving Adrian a cocky glare, "we'll see how you think after I get into 'Excelsior.'"

Wide brown eyes ran cold as a shock went up Adrian's body, "You? You got accepted to Excelsior? The Excelsior _Hero_ College?"

David smiled a long wolfish grin as he put his hands on his hips. "oh yeah wristwatch, I'm taking the aptitude exam this coming august right after summer break. Everyone loves a hero! Nothing screams an all-American hero like a man with guns for muscles." He made a point to dig an elbow into Adrian's left side as he looked out at the labs below them.

Sweat dripping from Adrian's neck as he gritted his teeth holding back from crying. "You're nothing like a hero.. you're an Asshole, they're gonna find that out real quick!" Turning his face.

David just laughed and made a move to walk away, rolling his wrist and looking back at the now distraught Adrian. "That's the thing about being a hero, no one cares if you're an asshole so long as you kick ass. You try doing that with that quirk of yours. See if it gets you to where I'm going." Disappearing back into his group on the far wall leaving Adrian in a state of panic.

Hands slammed down into the metal railing gripping them till the knuckles went white. The noises in the room muting and replaced by his heartbeat ringing in his ears. _'DAMMIT. Fuck but, why!? why him? I've been applying there every year since freshman and that bitch gets to take the test?!' _Adrian's breathing shallowing as he started counting in his head. He couldn't let this get to him; he couldn't let HIM get to him. This bantering had been going on for years but never had it been something this important. Countless letters, every recommendation who he could beg to help him apply, hours upon hours of research on hero law. He needed this, but David gets it after applying to only the best hero course on the west side. Adrian couldn't even fathom why he would want to be a hero other then for the fame. _'Maybe that's enough,' _he reflected bitterly. He could do this; he couldn't give up just because David was successfully getting under his skin. Taking a deep breath, he forced his shoulders to go rigid and gave his best power smile marching to a group of four he could stick himself with. Getting on the next elevator as quickly as his legs and other students would allow. Jason gave him a sympathetic look, pressing the button down for his group. All the while David looked on and relaxed against the stone wall waiting for his turn. The elevator closed and started its descent.

Spilling out of the elevator, Adrian was ripped out of his panic by the stark white and green walls of the research section. Students sitting around waiting for the rest of the class to make it down so they could continue with the tour. Dr. Krammer handing out flyers to each of the new students that exited the elevators. "This pamphlet is a directory of the main research areas in Q.U.A.C. feel free to look over it and ask any questions." The older gentleman giving a quick nod as he dolled one out to Adrian. Trying to get out of his head, Adrian asked, "Which part of the complex works primarily with genealogy of quirks?" The doctor scratched his chin and gestured to a small picture of one of the domes along the far-right side of the building labeled 'Familial Ancestry Testing'. "you're in luck, that's Dr. Warwick's main department. We'll be stopping there at the end of the tour to let our director give you all a sendoff." Adrian voiced a small thanks and proceeded to sit down on one of the steel benches by a potted hydrangea plant. Letting out a large sigh. His mind started turning back to Excelsior University.

It was based out of California and sat perched on Telescope Peak by Death Valley. The school used the Canyon as a training grounds and only accepted the best offers from around the country. A License earned at Excelsior was a ticket to any Hero Corps in the United States. It prided itself on the virtues of old comics. Integrity, selflessness, humility… it was the first hero academy to reform after the original attempt at hero licensing failed. Since then its been a staple birthplace of State Heroes for decades. '_if I get this recommendation from Rush Hour maybe that be good enough for them to accept me this time… yeah stay positive, I can do this I can make it, I just gotta remember what dad always said…' _his mind echoing the tried and true statement of Ryan bellowing from across the house. 'Luck's a revolving door, you just need to know when it's your time to walk through!' a small stream of tears formed and careened down Adrian's face. '_yeah that's it Adrian, believe in yourself c'mon..._'sniffing and rubbing his eyes. He let out a shudder and was about to stand up to, when suddenly a large humming noise started to emanate from the ceiling. "what the..." Adrian mumbled confused. Him and the other students strained their ears to find out what was causing the sound. The doctor held up two fingers and called quietly through an earpiece only for him to make a loud cry and drop to the floor, his ear sparking. Growing panic began to take hold of the classmates around him. Some of them rushing to the Doctors aid trying to wake him. Adrian in the meantime, was too busy looking up at the dome which had now grown a large pixelated hole in the center and seemed to be spreading down toward the middle of the facility blocked off from his vision by the wall.

Then the power was thrown out and the world went black.

**Jason Hayes!**

**QUIRK**: Vocal Shift! **HN**: Mockingbird

He can change his pitch to match any voice he's ever heard!

**Affiliations**: Senior, Silverado Highschool.

**Birthday**: 6/15

**Blood Type**: O+

**Likes**: Hammocks


	4. Chapter four: The Scattered Complex!

Chapter four: The Scattered Complex!

The walls pulsated a faint green color in the dark. Students were yelling and panicking next to Adrian as his eyes adjusted to the power outage. In the distance explosions could be heard from the middle of the facility leaving his mind hyper alert. 'I don't know what's going on but clearly nothing good' Adrian rationalized, briskly walking to the unconscious body of Dr. Krammer.

One of the students quickly turning to him, "Do you think he's going to be out for a while?" looking back and forth at the elevators nervously.

Adrian thought for a moment and then snapped his eyes to the group of frightened Seniors. "No way to tell how long he's cold for," He pointed back at the stairs, "we need to get him upstairs and try and regroup with the rest of the class. They'll most likely have automated auxiliaries in case of back up. That's probably where the green run lines are feeding off." He stooped down and grabbed hold of the doctor's shoulder, motioning for the girl to help him with the other side. With a short grunt they managed to get him into an army carry, Adrian raising his voice. "Start moving up the stairs, we can panic when we get to safety. Move!" The remaining students needing no other prompting, jogging in front of Adrian and up the steps. A third student helping hoist the doctor up and onto Adrian's back.

"Is everyone here?" The boy asked after stepping away from the doctor.

Adrian did a quick count in his head and mouthed 'shit' before gritting his teeth and asking up the line, "There were five groups that were sent down right? I only counted twenty students."

A nervous buzz filling the party till another student a flight up yelled back down, "It was a group of guys from the science club! They went on ahead after Krammer gave them the ok to go to the Kinetics Labs!"

Stopping on one of the landings Adrian told the group to stop before setting the doctor down on the polished marble. "Whoever is strong enough to carry our tour guide needs to keep climbing the stairs and get to the first floor. Find Jason, he'll know what to do to get the class evacuated." Adrian set his bags down next to the wall and thumbed his journal in the back pocket of his jeans. Setting back down the stairs in a near sprint.

"Where are you going?!" shouted a few students down the stairwell after him.

He managed to bark out "Getting the other students!" blitzing through the open stairway doors and around the corner.

Adrian ignored the cries of protest coming faintly from the group and turned left at the hallway fork from the elevator. Digging out the pamphlet from his front pocket and tracking the map legend to the Kinetics labs. They were directly past the main fountain area and on the left side of the complex. _'right past whatever was leaking through the screens. Of course.'_ he shook his head and had to make a fast jump to avoid stomping on a group of unconscious scientists that littered the through way, "what the hell is everyone unconscious?" panting out bewildered at the state of the Q.U.A.C. More fizzled out earpieces were spread out amongst their limp bodies. He paused and picked one up noting that it was almost completely burned away. A thought grazed his mind before he pulled his cellphone from his pocket, '_need to check this, I hope to god I'm wrong.' _

No service. His neck went cold, throwing himself faster down the hall. '_This isn't a malfunction, this is a break-in. One with either a very good hacker, or a scary emitter type quirk.' _His eyes steeled at the realization and only made it more urgent that he found the other students quickly. Especially given the state of the staff from the evidence he's finding. He knew that the start of the incident was at 1:34, and the time was 1:48 meaning that its been fourteen minutes since whoever is invading the site arrived. Most likely meaning that the group or individual has already located what they came here for. _'unless they came here looking to kill everyone.' _his back muscles tensed up and he slapped his hand along the wall making a hard turn into a room with a hard stop. Anxiety choking him up and panting for breath. Adrian knew there wasn't enough time for fear, but he needed to get focused. He was so distracted with thinking that he hadn't been listening to his surroundings, just noticing that the explosions from earlier weren't there anymore and were instead replaced with a white static noise from the error screens along the roof. Checking the map again, the hallway he was in was for the Data offices and was going to spill out into the main room and testing domes at the next fork. He braced his arm against a nearby desk and inhaled deeply, kicking out of the office only to immediately spot a large man with chains around his arms. He was making his way down the hallway, curiously lifting doctors as he went.

'SHIT' skidding back into the office with an audible hi-pitched sliding noise. Adrian's heart running a million miles an hour. Pressing his ear to the wall just in time to hear a loud thud as a body hit the ground. Big cautious steps slowly made their way toward him.

"Who's there? Aww don't be shy now, I wasn't gonna hurt the poor Doc. Just a big old mess, right? All these people out cold. I told Glitch that he aughta go easy on the poor lab coats but eh, what do I know." A distinctly southern rasp got closer to the office. "How about ya'll come on out? If any of these poor folk were your friends I'd be scared too, but I don't say anything I don't mean now." Meaty fingers curling around the door frame above Adrian.

Adrian didn't react on thought, but instead flowed completely on auto pilot. He had been training in Krav Maga for years preparing for his dream of being a hero, slamming an elbow up into the man's jaw with a loud crunch.

"AH WHAT THE- "suddenly losing his balance from a well-placed kick to his ankle, smashing backwards into the opposite wall. Breaking the green strip with his head.

All this within a second of each other, Adrian jumped off the man's chest. Using his ribs as a kick board to propel himself running through the next fork and into the main room. All the while he could hear an awful creaking noise flaring up behind him. Looking back for a split second to see a piece of the wall come up off the ground and hurled into the ceiling.

"Oh, now you've done it you son of a bitch! jesus that stung…" one of the bodies being kicked into the cross's interior wall. Folding and collapsing like a ragdoll. "When I find you, I'm gonna flay you alive so you best be hoping I don't!"

The main room was in complete disarray, with flood lights illuminating a mess of unconscious personnel. Two of the testing domes were shattered and darkened, and the other three had an ominous red haze lingering inside them. The fountain had been crushed in half, revealing a false bottom that housed a charred staircase. Adrian couldn't see any other threats or even awake individuals. Only knowing that the Kinetics Labs were on the other side, he made a B-line for the glowing green sliding doors. The adrenaline pounding in his ears. Just as he made the bend around from the fountain, a pixelated voice echoed from the dome.

"You're not very wise, are you?"

Adrian stopped completely in his tracks, looking up at the roof to see the face of a young man raising an eyebrow. His eyes were black with green symbols moving in lines like the Matrix, complimenting a thick neon green head of hair and eyebrows. His mouth a dull line. He seemed to be sitting in a gaming chair of some kind, emblazed with an 'EXTREME PERFORMANCE' on the head rest. The rest of the room being blacked out.

"This kind of screen gives me an amazing view of the complex, you know. Smart move getting everyone upstairs. Was almost going to let it slide. Almost." A stern look growing on the man's face, typing a brief line of text into his computer before the sliding doors of the Kinetics Lab sealed themselves shut.

Adrian tried slamming on the sliding door, before turning around to look back up at the dome screen. A bored demeanor encompassing the villains face. During this time, he had failed to notice the large man from earlier coming around the other side of the fountain. Murderous intent beaming off him like a bull seeing red. Realizing that he'd been stalled a hollow twang of reality hit him in the gut, racing to find a way out of this mess. He could try running, but the man was built like an elephant and would probably catch him. He lost the element of surprise so not much there… and then an idea struck him. He raised his hands in the air and started, "Ok. Ok. There's no need to get violent I know when I'm beat." He kneeled on the ground, continuing to keep eye contact with the larger man with chains.

The man on the screen paused for a moment. Before making a small clicking noise with his mouth, waving his hand. "So, you are a little smart. Very well. Rebar! Leave the kid be. You got your point across and the job is almost done."

Rebar, the man in question, only huffed out and looked up. "C'mon now Glitch! this 'kid' nearly took my jaw off!" getting closer to Adrian looking him up and down. Rubbing his jaw while taking a moment to consider. "Give me one good hit?" a predatory grin overtaking his jar like features.

Without skipping a beat Glitch just rolled his eyes. "Fine. Just try not to kill him, no sense adding another murder charge to your already massive records."

Adrian's eyes widened in horror, remembering hauntingly the segment of drywall that rained sparks from the ceiling earlier. Rebar rolling his neck and cracking his knuckles showily. Adrian was fidgeting under his skin waiting for the hulking behemoth to make his move, _'Okay, be cool you can do this, just gotta be faster than he is. Ive got one shot. Just one…' _gritting his teeth he leaned his head forward.

In one swift motion Rebar ejected his fist outward, a creaking noise jutting from under his skin. Adrian was worried he had misjudged his reaction time at first, feeling the whoosh of air pushing at his hair while he grabbed the arm above him pulling his weight back on Rebar with the punch. A surprised yell proceeded Rebar losing his balance and flinging himself into the reinforced glass doors with a resounding smash. Sparks of light danced off the frame. The force and weight of Rebar careening it off its track and sent skidding a good ten feet before stopping.

"oh for the love of- Dammit Rebar cant you be more competent?" A series of frantic typing followed by the feed cutting called from the roof, the dome returning to white static.

Adrian didn't need a better cue to starting putting his ass in high gear, sprinting past the groaning Villain rebar and directly into the Kinetics Labs foyer. He didn't know where the students would be hold up, but more than likely it'd be in the back of the building. His resolve a candle in the dark leading him to check each of the side closets and testing rooms. _'c'mon c'mon c'mon… there!' _ reeling into a small set of observation rooms, still lit with security feed. "anybody there? It's me Adrian!?" he called ahead of him, slowly walking into the darkened screen room.

Quietly a hand lifted itself up from under the booth, waving frantically. "oh, thank god." He said sliding under the table where he was greeted by a group of four students huddled together. "is everyone ok? Listen we need to move. there's a Villain named Rebar in some stage or another of waking his ass up and hes not to happy that I sent him through an electrified sliding door." Adrian motioned to grab one of the student's wrist, but she shook her head no.

"Daniel's gone." She uttered, the rest of the group nodding in agreement solemnly. He glanced back and forth at the four students and sighed frustrated. He needed five, not four, five!

"Where's Daniel? We need to go, you're all in danger!"

One of the other students, a blue furred man wearing glasses, carefully got up from under the booth and motioned for Adrian to do the same. Getting up to stare at one of the security cameras that had an image of a group of three Villains pulling apart terminals in some non-descript part of the facility. The Daniel in question, was somehow squirming inside of one of the Mutant type Villain's back, his face covered in some kind of Waxy substance.

"God… Where is that? Do we know?"

The student pointed, back toward a camera facing the broken fountain and down the stairs.

Adrian's face grew blank, his mind going rapid-fire trying to find a reasonable way he could rescue this student. Drawing blanks at every turn. "I don't think there's any way we can safely reach Daniel. There are three Villains down there, and we aren't trained heroes to deal with this kind of-"His line of speech cut off while watching the image flicker. David walking around the fountain with two of David's friends. "Shit."

Not a moment after uttering that word was spent thinking as Adrian sprinted out of the Security room. Passing the now assumedly unconscious body of Rebar slumped torso first around the door frame. Cuts lightly bleeding along his arm and face. Stepping over broken glass and making his way to the fountain. "What the hell are you guys doing here?!"

David furrowed his face, "Well, what do you think Wristwatch? Some of the kids that came up the stairs with the doctor, panicked because you decided to go all 'hero' and Jason sent us to go fetch your dumbass!" stepping forward he grabbed Adrian's shoulder, "and now that were here lets get going!"

Adrian shook david off slapping his arm away, "Stop it! We don't have time for this, there are four students in the kinetics labs over there," motioning to the flittering light of the building, "and they need your _concern_ more then I do! Go help them get outta here."

David rolled his eyes, "Jones, Peterson? Get the crying babies." His two meathead friends nodding and hustling through the door. "Happy? Let's go!" pulling on Adrian again, this time being met with a fist to the cheekbone. Staggering away a couple steps.

"Shut the fuck up David! You're not my keeper, you're not my savior, and you're not my friend!" Adrian yelled, gesturing wide with both arms shaking.

Grunting, David shot Adrian a flaming glare. Straightening his shoulders while extending out his gun barrels. "I didn't ask to be any of those things! You need to get off your damn high horse and get real!" advancing toward Adrian. "You're nothing without help! Nothing, where were you gonna go huh? Gonna lead you band of survivors back up the stairs? What if some villains showed up? how would you deal!" shoving Adrian with the tip of his arm, "Tell them the fucking time?"

Davids friends coming back out of the Kinetics Labs with the four students in tow. An awkward silence filling the air as Adrian looked at the ground breathing shallow. One of David's friends coughed and stuttered, " Uh, Yo, David. I… normally I wouldn't pipe in with your beef, but we gotta go." Rubbing his arm.

"we'll Leave! When Adrian here gets it!" David said through gritted teeth. "Now whats it going to be? You gonna stop being a hero or are y-" the smell of sulfur cutting him off mid-sentence. His arm suddenly reverting before he forcibly dropped Adrian on the ground. " GET DOWN!" the other students flailing to meet his request before a stream of fire erupted at standing level, engulfing their backs briefly before cutting all at once again. Adrian's eyes wide staring up at the ceiling.

"AW shit did you see that!? Haha dammmmn I was this close! mothafucka's almost got cooked Bee!" A short man said coming up the stairs in the middle of the fountain, a trail of smoke coming out from under his vest. Wiping a fake tear from his eye flicking a little spark off his finger. Followed closely behind by two other individuals all making small banter while pooling out on the empty fountain basin. Muffled screaming could be heard from the larger melted one. Struggling to get up David readied his arm again and the students look on at the cocky Villains.

Adrian got up onto his feet and took a ready position, unsure of their odds but not willing to go down easy.

**David Slasor!**

**QUIRK**: Armament! **HN**: Last Round.

Able to create gun barrels out of his muscles, he can shoot fragments of his bones at blinding speeds!

**Affiliations**: Senior, Silverado Highschool.

**Birthday**: 2/14

**Blood Type**: AB-

**Likes**: Cheeseburgers


	5. Chapter Five: Stand of Silverado High!

Chapter Five: Stand of Silverado High!

An ominous silence overtook the room, the three Villains arranging themselves to look over the crowd of students. Adrian's lip twitched in trepidation. '_There is no way we can take them out altogether. Especially since were on a time limit with that Rebar Villain potentially waking up while were fighting…' _His eyes scanned the three criminals, wincing internally at seeing Daniel struggling helplessly. Arms and legs flailing behind the large wax coated man.

"Hey kids, so im fuckin curious," The one with the denim vest leaned forward, "Which one of you punks knocked Rebar on his ass?" He cackled and glanced back toward the Kinetics labs pointing to the shredded glass door. "That? That's beautiful haha! Big jarhead slid like a bowling ball, didn't he?! Oh maaan! That. Is. Rich." Putting his right hand on his chin in a kind of L shape. a mad gleam glinted in his orange eyes.

The woman in the back hit her hand to her face briefly before walking behind him, smacking the hyena like villain upside the head, "Cmon Matchstick, don't compliment them! We're down one man and Glitch is already gonna ream us enough for not finding-"

"Quiet, Quiver." A tired wax hand gestured to his lips.

"Oh right, sorry Bee." She shrugged at the students with a smile, "Spoilers sorry. I'm kind of a ditz. Duh."

During the entire exchange david had been getting more and more rigid. Adrian not noticing his demeanor from trying to study the Villains. The other students frozen like ice statues. Finally, David snapped from their antics, "UGGGHHH! Shut the fuck up already Jesus!" lifting his arm growling. "Why don't you get out of our way and we can just pretend this whole bullshit exchange didn't happen? Not like a bunch of highschool kids matter to you anyway!"

Matchstick blinked a few times, then slowly his shoulders started rolling up and down. An uproarious laugh filling the air before being sent into a coughing fit, wiping his face with both hands. "The fuck you mean, oh go-haha what? Oh, the fuck you mean pretend like it never happened?" his eyes suddenly went frigid sending a shockwave of Anxiety through the group. "You saw us, didn't you?" his mouth contorted into a sick grin, yellow teeth shining like some carrion bird's beak.

Without missing a beat Jones, the taller of David's friends, took off in a dead sprint trying to skirt his way around the side of the fountain. Adrian reached out and made a move to take off after him, just before David's arm came crashing against his chest. A pained but angered expression shot holes in Adrian's plan. The female of the group took off after him in just enough for Jones to subconsciously look back. Immediately he dropped like a stone, crying out in pain and violently twitching on the ground. Quiver crossing her arms and just watching him with a semi-amused stare.

"Awww poor baby, couldn't handle the pressure and took off like a rabbit fearing for its tail. How cute." She kicked Jones in the stomach with a sneer. Foam beginning to curl up out of the student's mouth. Frothing on her boots.

David yelled after her, no longer restraining himself, "Leave him alone dammit!" his arm swinging wide and ejecting a handful of bullets in her general direction, skidding and hitting off the floor in front of her. Unaware of the other Villain Matchstick forming a small yellow ball in his left hand.

In that short span of time Adrian's tense muscles shot off like a rocket, barreling toward David. Closing in on David's back with a huff of frantic urgency. The seconds started to stutter, and the world moved in slow motion. the group of students still at the entrance to the labs all screamed at once. Matchstick propelling a gust of off yellow colored gas at David's feet ready to snap with a red-hot right hand. _'Need… more…time!' _Adrian pleaded desperately within himself, flinging his body around David's whose hand jittered up in protest. Gritting his teeth, he plunged his foot into the ground and flung them both back to their original spots. Fractions of a moment before Matchstick's fingers sparked and began a daisy trail of fire. Time just returning to normal. The space where david had been moving into now a flame cloud big enough to swallow a small house.

The students gasped and Matchstick did a double take, stomping his foot in shock. "Oh, hell naw! what the, FUCK! That was fast!?" shaking his head vigorously. Everyone's eyes on Adrian. David's being the most taken aback.

Adrian took a moment to collect himself, shaking beneath the surface from the pressure. Turning to face the two villains left by the fountain. His voice a deep and threatening growl, "I am Adrian Greene, and if you want to kill ANYONE!" his closed fist pounding his chest, sending Matchstick a step back, "you're gonna have to go through ME!"

David looked up at Adrian and picked himself hurriedly off the floor. His arms converting into his standard gun barrels, "and me!" pointing them back and forth at the villains. An awkward silence filling the dome. Adrian glanced back and mouthed a _'Really asshole?'_ nervous sweat peaking off David's forehead.

Bee put his hand on the very confused Matchstick's shoulder. Trying not to coat him in a small pad of wax, "He's an enhancement type. Saw his reaction time." He pointed at David, "He's an idiot Mutant type with guns for brains." This elicited a grunt of frustration from said idiot. Bee gestured to Quiver, "You handle _Adrian_. Matchstick will handle the gun-kid." After dolling out the targets, He began moving toward the main body of students, "and ill handle the runts." His approach sending them hoping all over themselves trying to make a break for inside the building.

Adrian immediately sprang to move between him and the group when a gust of fire splashed between them. Sending him sprawling toward the ground. Matchstick rocking a finger back and forth. Rushing for David who began doing a backpaddle toward one of the testing domes, dodging between the small explosions. Staggered screams emanated from the Kinetics labs, but before he could protest a small knife whizzed by his ear cutting a small notch out of it. "ah!" covering said ear and rolling, looking up toward the direction from where it flew. A smug Quiver flicking another one between her knuckles.

"Hey Adrian, Bee says I play with you today. Hope you don't mind the dance…" She snarked out before throwing the second dagger, his form tumbling out of the way just in time for it to clank against the stone floor.

Adrian got up into a ready position, his feet wide and hands open in front of him. He rubbed his nose with one thumb before replying, "OH sure, was exactly what I wanted to do today!" passing his eyes quickly along his opponent's body, the other kids in the back of his mind. _'I can't go help them unless I can get through her, she'd just follow me into the building if I made a break for it.' _ He didn't have a lot of information about her, or her quirk. Quiver had a small bandolier of knives along her torso, and thick combat boots with spiked tips. She looked small, but lean._ 'probably acrobatic in nature, I can't bet against her flexibility until I see -' _cutting into his thoughtsShe pressed forward and made several telegraphed slashing motions producing a knife from her hand with a cool flick from her chest. Adrian patiently waited for them to almost hit him, before making as few motions as he could to evade them. Taking in her form while moving backwards. Her strikes were all over the place and seemed more random then anything. Blades Twisted around aggressive but poor postures. The next time she went in for a slash he used his wrist to catch under her hand, curling his fingers around her wrist. Shoving it down quickly putting her off balance and low enough to go for a knee. 'Got it!' driving it forth as hard as he could, before catching her eyes looking up with his.

The sudden pain in his head could only be described as splitting, his mind filled rapidly with blinding reds and blues. Adrian howled and careened to the floor, spasming back and forth on the marble below a smug Quiver. He could barely think much less move to evade her foot descending into his gut. Pins slipping into the cotton fibers stabbing into his stomach.

She panted and kicked a few more times, "you like that _Adrian_?! That feel good?!" his throat vibrated sending a mix of blood and saliva down his chin. Unable to do more then feel the pain, Adrian futility attempted to flail his arms toward her legs. Quiver paused and got low to his face pointing a finger to her eyes. "My quirk lets me give people Epileptic seizures by beaming pretty kaleidoscopes into their brain! Isn't that cool kid?!" she grabbed his face, setting her brown eyes into his. Adrian barely able to see at this point. "So, you're going to die, watching one hell of a firework show in your mind! You should…" smashing her fist into his side, "be!" flipping her knife to an icepick grip before smashing it down toward Adrian's torso, "Thankful!"

Adrian did his best to close his eyes as hard as he could bracing for the impact and his untimely demise. _'It's too late… there's nothing else I can do…' _not realizing immediately that the colors in his head were gone and that he couldn't hear anything. Peaking an eye open, the knife was centimeters from his ribs a scream etched on Quivers hung mouth. He blinked taking a moment to register his position before hurriedly moving his body out from under the blade. it dragged slightly on his shirt fraying the red cotton. Wiping his mouth off from the foaming he had been doing just… now. he took stock of the situation. "I am the luckiest man alive." He said nearly crying from the stress. He never knew how long these time stops would last, or when they would happen. So, the fact that one would occur just before he would be stabbed and most likely killed was hard not to be shocked about.

Adrian grabbed his stomach coating his fingers in his own blood on accident. "of course, right you still kicked me with your boots…" He unlatched her bandolier with one hand and tore a shear of his shirt from his shoulder. Moving a couple feet away to tie the belt like knife holder around his stomach after padding the area with the scraps and removing the remaining knives from it. Not wanting to waste anymore of the frozen time however, Adrian limped back over to Quiver and grit his teeth. "Let's dance!" hitting her chest with a series of rapid-fire punches and a harsh kick of his calf to her face, time beginning to worm itself back. The blows registering all at once in slow motion, Quiver's skin rippling and her clothes billowing out in small impacts. Right before time restarted, Adrian cried out and with one final kick to her blasted back sternum, sent her flying across the room. A heavy smack resounding off the stone.

She coughed a few times on the floor as Adrian winced shaking out his hands. 'definitely broke a knuckle or two there.' The frozen time not providing much shock absorption on the part of Quivers skin. It did mean however that he hadn't lost any energy from air drag or having the blows be evenly distributed through the affected areas.

"How… HOW!" She moaned in pain, feeling around her chest for her knives. Ultimately just sitting up on one arm. "How were you so fast?!" she said blood coming from the side of her head and mouth.

"Just lucky, is all." He retorted, blocking his gaze by looking at the broken floral arrangement that lined the Kinetics lab. _'The Kinetics Lab!'_ He panicked, making a mad dash for the building. Quiver succumbing to her injuries and slumping back on the marble, closing her eyes.

Meanwhile in another part of the Q.U.A.C, David was having a hard time avoiding all the shafts and plumes of gas that gathered around him. His opponent howled. Trailing behind, barking and laughing snidely while he snapped his right hand back and forth. Left hand shifting in long strides that pulled the gas from his body and into what amounted to Napalm. David's mind was reeling from all the events of the past half an hour. _'How the fuck did Wristwatch move like that?!'_ ducking behind a small pillar of stone. firing his arm blindly around the side, he had to pull it back quickly to avoid it turning into charcoal. _'shit! I can't risk shooting out of cover!' _looking around the room. This testing dome must've been dedicated to agility training, it was some sort of obstacle course made up of layers and layers of stone platforms and pillars both horizontal and vertical. He checked for a way to get to the higher ground faster before being forced to sprint headfirst into another section of the stone maze. The smell of sulfur being all the tell he needed before his cover had become a torch.

"Would you quit with the fucking fire show already asshole!?" David yelled from behind his grey blockade. Covering his face from the heat.

Matchstick just grinned and rubbed his right hand through his hair, biting his teeth together a couple of times. "What big man? Can't handle the heat!? All its gonna take is for yo bitch ass to get tired and you'll be dead you hear me?!" another snap licking flames around the corner of where david had just been a second prior. His body sliding behind a horizontal column.

David was breathing heavily at this point, knowing full well that he was right. He had moved him away from everyone because he could deal the most collateral, he hadn't thought he could generate so much of this stuff over and over! David looked down at his arms, and then back at matchstick who was playfully looking around corners and whistling. It took him a second to notice it, but when he caught it his eyes widened. Matchstick's right hand had scorch marks up and down his fingers. Come to think of it, he was being careful to be a good five feet away from his explosions… _'His quirk hurts himself!_' he said to himself in success. A small smug voice echoed in his head, _'bet you wouldn't have though of that huh wristwatch? You're not the only one who's a smartass!' _ he crawled to another column as Matchstick made his way to the one, he was currently under, raising an eyebrow at the empty spot.

"You know Kid, I'm going to find ya. And when I do? I'm gonna toast you alive! So why not make this easier and just get fucking cooked already!" Snapping his fingers, he moved a wave of fire around several pillars at once, his left-hand arcing in wide circles before he shook it away.

David blew out a breath and wiped the sweat from his face and neck. He had just barely avoided the last stream and made his way to a platform to the left of where he had been, jumping up onto it and sprinting to a round block. Sitting down with his back to it. He knew how to stop this guy, but not the plan. David admitted to himself that he wasn't much of a plans guy, he preferred to run off instinct and just deal with the consequences. Scratching his shaved blond head, he tried to wrap his brain around how he could get Matchstick to set himself on fire. He was about to get up and move again hearing the whistling ahead of his hiding spot but then an idea struck him. His right arm readied itself, the hammer above one of the barrels clicking back.

"Listen Bullets, I really don't have time for this bullshit! Get out here and just cut your fucking losses already. Fuck!" Igniting another set of ground on fire with an angry yell. Shaking his right hand while cursing to himself. Just then David sprung to action, jumping on top of the round just a good twenty feet from where Matchstick was. Holding his gun arm with his other one he narrowed his eyes and started running forward toward the Villain who was now turning quickly.

"There ya are! Glad you agree with me!" Cackling as he plumed the gas in front of him. His right arm out wide to let the gas seep from his exposed chest.

'_fifteen feet, just like football practice come on…' _David's feet rebounded off the charred path, the smell of Sulfur hitting his nose. _'Ten feet dammit, cmon!' _ David gnashed his teeth and started screaming, the barrels on his arm rolling forward and angling into a cone. The snap came just before the Five-foot mark, just as he thought it would. His eyes level with the fire that rapidly encompassed his vision. With a roar, he drove his arm into the ground in front of him and fired off three large caliber rounds into the ground. The force of which sent his body flying up and forward over the fire and directly at Matchstick whose face contorted from the usual maddening smile into one of shock. David's brain fired an image of Adrian saving him from the guy he was about to smash into, and grinned yelling, "Burn this fuckface!"

Matchstick reacted too late to avoid the metallic barrels colliding with his face, his body flipping around and hitting the ground with a loud crack. Gasping for air. David landed on top and pinning his throat under his gun he started smashing into his head with his fist. "HOW YOU LIKE ME NOW BITCH!?" each successive hit making matchstick's attempts to kick him off weaker and weaker until finally his limps went limb. David stopped, breathing harshly and stumbling off the Villain's body.

Matchstick looked up at him, his eye bruising and cheek beginning to swell. "Hehehe… not ba- cough cough- not bad fucker…" raising his arms in a devil may care shrug, "I think im gonna nap now…" promptly slumping over in a heap.

"you better." David uttered resolutely, his gun arm going leap while he made his way severely sunburned back to the labs.

By the time Adrian had pushed his way back into the foyer of the Kinetics labs, all the students were encased in a large slab of Wax. while Bee played with a device on his leather jacket toward the end, Peterson being the last to be encased. It was hard to get a read on someone with a face that looked like a melted stick of butter, but the cold eyes that turned to meet Adrian was enough to make him know he wasn't safe.

"Quiver?"

"Unconscious."

"Matchstick?"

Adrian straightened his shoulders and did his best to look intimidating despite his injuries, "Don't know, doesn't matter right now does it?"

Bee nodded and let out a sigh, shaking some wax off his hands before sitting on one of the armchairs. "you know you're not getting out of here alive right? You've put in a real effort of it. Would make a guy like me blush if that was something I could do." He gestured to the door. "Ill give you one chance because I like a man with moxie. Leave and I'll let you go." Adrian only strained into wide stance, lifting one of his arms while he held his stomach with the other. The wax around Bee's mouth lifted a little. "eh, thought I'd give it a shot. No use keeping men like us down though huh?"

Just then Adrian's ears perked to the sound of creaking a fraction of a second to late. his body shaken with a violent pain in his back, a fist slamming him forward right past Bee and into the reception desk. Blood spilling from his mouth onto the clinical white table and the back of the office computer. Rebar stepped out from the side of the door frame, tapping his fist. "See now? I told ya'll I wanted one. I always get my shot."

Adrian shook trying to move but found that his legs wouldn't cooperate, sending him into a small panic. He could feel his head being lifted by his hair, turned around to look at Rebar's grimly gleeful face. "Now, you be a good little man now and stay down this time." a small creaking sound emanating from his fist that was building tension next to him. Adrian's vision began to cloud, _'I'm going to die…'_ Rebar's jaw kept swiveling into and out of position in groups of threes. His hands grasping at the hand that was holding his hair in place.

Rebar looked at Bee who just nodded, looking at the device again. Right before either of them could move however, a hail of bullets poured in from the door. Rebar being hit a handful of times in the back. flinging Adrian back down on the desk before turning around. Bee making a wall of wax in front of himself with his right hand. Making it thicker and thicker to deter the gunfire.

"Get your hand off him asshole!" David roared sprinting forward and kicking rebar with both feet to his chest falling on the floor with a thud while Rebar stumbled and had to grab the desk with a grunt. More shots rang from David's arm while he was on the ground, to no avail. Bee having moved to intercept David's arm, coating the inside of the barrels.

"Jesus Christ, can we stop with the Kid heroics already!?" Bee said frustrated, covering David's Mouth and nose with wax. The gun student going into a panic trying to pull off the thick hardened wax that made him unable to breathe. Adrian looked from the desk down at the struggling form of David trying to breathe and wormed his way off the desk. Crawling over to him painfully too slow.

Bee raised an eyebrow, "A valiant effort to the end, for nothing. He's going to die from asphyxiation in a couple of minutes, and you won't be alive to see his end." Pushing Adrian's struggling body over with his foot.

Adrian's eyes were straining to see anything other than light blurs but couldn't seem to grasp anything else. He could feel David's shirt under his hand. His heart racing a million miles an hour, _'I'm sorry David. I tried…god dammit I tried… but I'm not a hero!' _Tears blurring his vision further. When out of nowhere time began to stutter again, only for a handful of seconds but Adrian's eyes were pulled to the front of the building, soft golds and reds pouring in like star light.

The others heard the crunch of glass coming from the door. The Students that were stuck in the wax began shouting and clamoring even harder and David's eyes went wide. Bee and Rebar in turn stopped breathing looking out at the figure.

Half illuminated by the floodlights stood a man with shoulder length Brown hair and a gold visor. The soft whirring of jets was coming down on his arms and legs. the armored Hero outfit gleaming in the greenish white emergency lights. Behind him stood a young student standing a good eight feet with four massive arms.

Rush Hour's mouth opened into a stoic smile," You should run."

**Rush Hour!**

**QUIRK**: Multiplying Speed RN: ?

He can increase his speed in multiples of Five!

**Affiliations**: Nevada State Hero Representative.

**Birthday**: ?

**Blood Type**: ?

**Likes**: Blackjack


	6. Chapter six: A Rushed Rescue!

Chapter Six: A rushed rescue!

**Five hours earlier. 7:46 AM.**

Rush Hour had to be on his way to his two O'clock appointment with Dr. Warwick in a handful of hours but already he was dreading it. His arms itched from underneath the mounted jet arm plates. The feeling in his legs? gone. As per the norm. Rush Hour had thought about throwing them in the trunk again but decided against it. He hated wearing the damn things, but he remembered all the enthusiasm that his Hero tech Myra put into them. Her pixie cut white hair and carbonated voice cutting into his morning routine, _'You bet your ass you're going to wear them! Hyper condensed nitrous canisters with three oscillating tripods that let them turn on a dime?! Forget five times, you'll be moving hundreds of times faster!' _he swung his car around into a 7/11 parking lot, parking on one of the stalls next to a '_Big Gulp!_' sign. Mentally reminding himself that he should get her boss to give her a raise. Not that the Jets did much, but she didn't have to know that. he pushed his boots out of the car and up the stone step toward the door. The chime ringing above him as he entered.

"Mr. Rush! Coming in for your daily poison?" a small elderly black man wearing a golf hat said.

"Oh Mr. Jacobs, you know I don't drink alcohol. Now a Slurpee on the other hand…" Rush Hour's eyes under his visor pulsed several times in quick succession. The old man's mouth stuck in a stuttered opening motion. Rush Hour let them pulse one more time. Holding the moment. The air in his lungs suspending as he moved the last few feet to the Slurpee machine. Grabbing a cup, he prepared to poor some blue raspberry before he released the tension and shocked the world back to motion.

"Is a vice I can live with!" laughing as he poured the sugary contents into his waiting plastic cup.

Mr. Jacobs just let out a raspy chuckle and went back to reading his paper on the bench next to the door, "That quirk of yours is a marvel Mr. Rush, I swear all I can see is you blurring and blipping all over the dang place haha." He paused and raised an eyebrow, "You gonna pay for that speed demon?"

Rush Hour had stuck the straw into the lid and had been walking out the door, a paper wrapper in his lips. "oh uh, hrm, yeah I uh, aughta do that shouldn't I?" he mumbled turning his foot in a swivel back to the counter. Mr. Jacobs rolled his eyes and set down his paper revealing his employee name card.

He took a few moments to get behind the counter. While the hero in question set the Slurpee down and started counting coins from various pockets. This elicited a sigh from Mr. Jacobs. "Boy I swear, there's no shame in accepting the governments money so you don't gotta go stressing about a dollar o six."

Rush Hour just shrugged and dumped a bag of quarters that he materialized from one of the cargo short pockets. "Sure sure, and be like those 'for the big screens' Celebrity Heroes? Not my scene. I'd much rather have that money go toward the kids you know?" he swiped the drink and slid across the requested sum, sucking noisily before he added, "Besides! Then I wouldn't get to see your ugly mug every day, the missus would kill me if I didn't keep tabs on you." An amused grunt followed by the ding of the register accompanied Rush hour making his way to the door. Mr. Jacobs waved, and he could hear a cut off retort about his wife being more interested in killing him or something to that effect. The door chiming as it closed.

**Half an hour earlier. 12:52 PM.**

It had been quiet all day as far as police chatter on Rush Hour's dispatch radio. Oh, sure a handful of break ins, a domestic dispute, speeding violations, and about a dozen cases of arson. (the latest criminal craze, from what he's heard) Nothing that required his attention. He could probably solve all the crime in the city. That was of course if he could increase the times per day, he could use his quirk, but that was a slow and dangerous process. He padded mindlessly at his dashboard touchscreen, flipping between R&B and classic rock. He jumped his foot a few times and got out of the car. 'Man, it's a boring day today.' He noted lazily. He was so bored he had taken a back road and set himself down behind McCarran Airport. His head tracing flight paths as they ascended upwards. His boots crunched under the sand and dirt trudging their way up to a small outcropping. He had been on this hillside about a million times since he started basing himself out of Las Vegas. The red rocks offering him solace in the blaring heat. Climbing onto the one furthest into the shade he took in The Strip and sighed, scratching his hair.

"What am I gonna do with you?" he gestured wildly with his arms. "You bring in about forty-two million people a year and they all have one big target on their back! I'm here for maybe a good seventy five percent of the time!" He fell back with a huff, grinning up at the clouds. He took a moment to lift his visor letting the light streak in. the HUD disappearing in favor for a richly blue expanse. "You're like a clingy comfortable partner, Vegas. I always end up coming back." propping his head up with his hand, being careful not to scrap the polished metal on the rock. Scanning the horizon, he found the Q.U.A.C dome and remembered they were supposed to call him about the facility at one. Fiddling with his visor he noted that the time was 1:02. He scrambled up and double checked, and then triple checked. _'that's strange… the calls from the site are automated.' _Rush Hour hit his contacts and scrolled a couple of times with the dial on the side of his visor, calling the building. No answer.

His sweat suddenly felt very cold on his neck, and his teeth began to itch with a familiar twang of foreboding he was seasoned to. Without missing a beat his exposed eyes pulsed. The soft blue and black hourglasses flipping sideways, and the trailing black sands of his irises halted. Rush Hour took off toward his car, counting the seconds in his head. Getting in and shifting it into drive before time kicked back into movement. His engine roared to life, pulling down the desert. Knuckles a death grip on the leather wheel of his old scratched up jeep. _'If the sites been compromised then they could be already gone by the time I get there, I have no idea how long the Q.U. been dark' _ The tires sputtering and sending sandstone up as he barreled straight through a landing strip. One of the flight coordinators looked extremely confused, hustling to move out of the way of the oncoming vehicle. Rush Hour grabbed his top rack punching the gas to tear through one of the chain link fences onto the I-15. _'Hold on Doc, I'm coming…'_

The doors to the Q.U.A.C couldn't open any faster for Rush Hour, sprinting through to the main lock-release door and punching in his override code. The walls darkened outside of the Foyer indicating a system wide generator failure. He knew he didn't have a lot of time if any considering the auto lock was engaged. He was about to start booking it to the stairs when he was immediately crowded around by a good thirty plus high school kids. Their bodies pushing and shoving to get past him and out the door.

"Whatmthe hell!?" He managed to eek out, slipping out from the crowd and bumping into a massive woman. She easily stood a good two feet taller than him.

"Everyone! Head to the parking lot as quickly as you can! Call your parents when you can find cell reception!" Valerie paused and looked down, "oh god, holy, Rush Hour?! I'm so sorry are you ok?" the mention of his name causing some of the remaining students to close in around him.

Rush hour blinked a couple of times, '_oh crud, Students? Today?_' he didn't even want to begin to think about how badly that would've gone if it had gone as normal for his visit. Remembering that they were looking to him for guidance and were currently in his personal space he stepped back. "That's quite alright giant woman!" he internally facepalmed, god nailed it, "What's the situation? What caused this shut down?"

Valerie crossed her lower arms and pointed with her other ones down at the testing domes, "We have a group of missing students hold up somewhere down in the kinetics labs, my boyfriend is missing, and another student went charging off to go get my best friend who went down there by himself." She lifted her head up and gestured to the dome. "A weird guy with green hair was talking to someone down there through the main screen a while ago… and we could see fire coming from one of the glass tanks…I think this is a Villain Heist..."

Rush Hour tensed up and took in the information, flicking the safeties off his jets and asked, "Facility members?"

"all the facility members got knocked unconscious through their earpieces somehow." She led a soft glance down toward where Dr. Krammer was leaned against an elevator.

"of course. what's your name?" tapping his visor a couple of times to bring up his Heads-Up Display.

"Valerie"

He finished his prep work and nodded to her, "Ok Valerie, good job getting the others organized. If you don't mind, I could use more of your assistance. A thumb pointed at the stairs "Follow me down to the main room and watch my rear?"

She nodded vigorously and punched her fists, "With pleasure sir!"

He smiled wide and shook his head, taking off down the stairs. "Time to play hero kid! Try to keep up. Times Five!" Shouting and pulsing his eyes rapid fire every quarter of a second. The world slowing down to a crawl while he moved at the same speed, quickly outpacing Valerie. He had people to save and needed the backup, having not phoned anyone in on the situation out of haste. '_she can do this; I've seen that fire before.' _He noted reassuring himself as he rounded the corner. Barreling toward the main room.

**Present. 1:17 PM.**

Adrian in his half unconscious state could barely register what had been said, but the reaction was immediate. Bee blasted the front door with enough wax to fill a museum as Rebar took off down the hall out of the foyer. He could swear that time froze again while this was occurring, because when he looked down at David's struggling form the red and gold blur had ripped off the wax covering his mouth. Jitters in action followed by flying wax suspended in air. Bee's rugged melted face contorted into a rage filled silent scream. His eyes cleared up somewhat and the clarity of the situation began to show itself. Rush Hour. Not just any Rush Hour, but a Rush Hour who was moving in time that was frozen! His mind raced trying to find answers, whilst the Hero was punching Bee in the gut repeatedly with precise jabs. Then time roared back to life, with Bee flailing and being thrown into the back wall. His arms still producing wax up and onto the ceiling before he collided with a picture frame behind the counter. Pieces on his chest and jacket coming off in chunks from the force.

"Jesus they weren't lying when they said you were fast; I didn't even see you." Bee gritted out lifting himself out of the rubble. Soft degraded plaster falling him.

Rush Hour to his credit just bobbed in place, bouncing on his heels with a confident smirk. He quickly took a count of the students on the wall and nodded to the door, "Don't suppose you wanna take this outside?"

"And lose any leverage I have? Not a chance." Bee retorted, aiming his arm at the wall. Only for it to be hit several times with a loud ring gunfire. David sitting up, holding his shaken arm out. His teeth ground and eyes centered. Moving the barrel toward center mass.

"I didn't think so." Rush hour walked toward the reception desk, patting David on the shoulder as he passed, "Nice aim, stay down ok? You're all safe now." David looking up wide eyed, his arm beginning to shake, still aimed at Bee. "Trust me." Rush hour raising his fist with a thumbs up. David made a voice to protest but needed no further cues to plop down exhausted and breathing heavily.

Bee started to visibly sweat wax, drops falling off his face watching rush hour tighten his arm jets while hoping over the counter. Without a second thought he made a break for the opening into the Hall following where Rebar took off. Frantically grunting as he scurried out. Rush Hour made a step toward his direction but then double backed toward the wall of wax and students. Time flickering several times, he smashed and pulled at the wax around one of the larger students, Peterson.

"Free your classmates, I'm going after the villains. Get those two," gesturing toward David and Adrian, "to the broken fountain and find cover till this is over."

Peterson dumbly nodded, his arms flailing to carve the wax away from one of the Science club members. Rush Hour turned again and checked the seconds in his head, nodding before he bolted down the hall after the two Villains. Passing Adrian who was at this point sitting up and had a deer in the headlight's expression. Scratching his eyes while he turned his head to watch the Hero take off. At which point the front door busted open, the yellowish substance being thrown inward to reveal a huffing Valerie.

"God dammit I'm never buying a candle again!" she kicked several chunks away stretching her arms before noticing Adrian. "Adrian!" she slid on her knees next to him. "Are you hurt? Where is Rush and the baddies?! I got just a quick look at them before I had to get out of the way of Honeycomb's waxing job…" her four arms quickly poking and prodding all over his torso, eliciting several pained winces before he shooed her off him.

"ow, ok, yes I'm, uh not there! I'm fine!" he grumbled, kicking away and standing up against one of the walls. Using the desk to anchor himself. "Rush Hour took off toward the lab and office hallway, that's where they went out." He grabbed at his stomach, tightening his makeshift bandage. The room was in a state of quiet disarray. Peterson struggled to free the last couple people with help from the others. David was seemingly unconscious from either the lack of oxygen he sustained or exhaustion. Adrian took stock before he said alarmed, "Wait, but there's no way out of the building toward the labs? How were they going to-"his thought cut off by a loud ripping noise. The building quaking under some enormous pressure.

Valerie and Adrian looked at each other and started running toward the broken front door. Valerie scooped David with her lower arms while the other students followed in panic. The Kinetics labs rumbled, and a loud creaking emanated the structure. It wasn't until the students reached the fountain that they turned around, just in time to witness the lab's left side collapsing to the ground. The fountain providing only moderate cover from the ensuing dust and debris cloud that swept along the ground outward from the destruction.

A general sense of unease filled the group. The darkened dome and flood lights barely illuminated any of the scene before them. The green emergency strips that were still exposed on the floor creating an ominous series of shadows all along the ruins. Suddenly one of the shadows began coughing violently before moving around the corner, stepping over the debris.

"Dammit Rebar! I said make a hole, I didn't say take the whole building down with us!"

A second shape appearing, and glimpses of metal peaked out from the dust cloud, "Aww Cmon now Bee I didn't have much choice. Fucker was going to butter our biscuits there in a hot minute." Stepping out into the floodlights to reveal the two villains covered in plaster.

Adrian scanned the wreckage but couldn't see any gold or red amongst the ground. The students huddled together and whispered worriedly amongst themselves.

Bee reached up to the same device from earlier on his leather jacket, pulling it up to his mouth, "Glitch! I swear to god if you don't warp us out of here right now I'm gonna-"turning his face to the fountain and catch eye contact with Valerie who couldn't much hide behind the stone. Noting the many tops of heads that poked out behind the fountain.

"ah fuck" Valerie said, standing up and walking toward the two villains, much to the chagrin of Adrian who waved for her to get back.

Bee smiled, his yellow teeth shining in the projected lights. "Rebar kill the big kid. I'll get the other ones; I'm suddenly not feeling very keen on leaving." Rebar moved forward and unraveled the chains around his arms, slinging them down onto the floor with a loud crack.

Valerie gritted her teeth and looked back at her classmates, cracking her Knuckles. She knew without Rush Hour being there she'd be the only one of the injured students who could stand up to the two villains. She yelled back toward the group, "I got this! Get to the stairs!" watching the large man Rebar approach, swinging the chains.

Just before the students began moving, However, Adrian watched as time began to stutter in place again. Rush Hour bursting from the left side of the building in a mad dash, his face half covered in blood. Time starting back up as he tackled Bee to the ground. An alarmed yelp sounding from the Wax villain causing Rebar to turn his head back, "what in the He-"His voice cut off by a fist jamming itself squarely on his cheek, sending him reeling back. Valerie having made the ten-ish feet over as if on cue from seeing Rush Hour punching out with her upper left arm.

What progressed was a flurry of actions happening at once. Bee kicked Rush Hour off and began coating the floor around him in a circle of wax. Time pulsing while Rush Hour avoided the slick substance and delivered a harsh kick (or several to Adrian's eyes) to his abdomen. Bee skittered across the floor and ran to put some distance between himself and the hero, only for that to be in vain. Time stopping for said hero to be right back in his face, Bee putting up his arms to block several jabs and an elbow to the face. This time however, he anticipated the strike and Rush Hour's arm became glued to the surface. Bee attempted to use this to slam him into the ground, reaching around to grab his back. Only for time to once again pause in place while Rush Hour head butted the Villain, tearing his arm from the wax and kicking off him with both legs. The strikes were immediate for Bee who was sent flying backwards in a daze. Trying desperately to put up a dome like wall of wax in front of him, blood pouring from his now exposed nose.

Meanwhile on the other side of the room, Valerie was having a hard time avoiding the multiple lashings of Rebar's chains. The large Southern man hooted and hollered like a bat out of hell, swinging left and right trying to catch one of Valerie's limbs. Her large frame made it difficult to get back in effectively, but as one of the whips came down above her head, she grabbed it with her upper arms. She yanked hard sending the man hopping to keep balance. Rebar swung around with his other arm, managing to land a crack against Valerie's left side. She winced but twisted around with the chain still in her hand running the last few steps. Hitting his lower hip with one arm she grabbed his other wrist with her other lower hand. He dropped the chain she was holding and swung his other hand to try and catch her face but was dropped to the ground. Tripping on his chain she all but kicked in front of his ankle. She twisted his arm around his back and with a loud grunt pushed him onto his knees. Her upper hands putting him in a head lock. Rebar flailed a few times with his other arm, before shoving it into the stone.

"AHHHHHHH!" He shouted, a creaking sound squealing from his elbow before the floor was dented into a crater. The impact launched both into the air away from each other from the force. Valerie managed to land on her feet, her four arms covering the debris from hitting her head. She uncovered her face a second too late however, as Rebar swung from the right side of her and jammed his knee into her stomach. A spray of spit ejected out of her mouth, the force enough to drive her off the ground a few feet and fall limply onto the ground, struggling to get up.

Bee wasn't in as good of a position as Rebar, judging by the way he was being rag dolled around the room. The moments may appear to be moving normally for the other students but for Adrian he could count every stop that Rush Hour seemed to be causing. Leaping and flicking his frozen jet limbs into Bee with a precision that could only be described as acrobatic. Most of the wax that covered Bee was gone, replaced by torn clothing and battered yellow tinted skin. Rush Hour walked forward toward a fallen Bee who shot several streams of wax at the jittering speed demon, all easily dodged. He staggered to his feet, "fucking heroes…"

"Ready to give up?" Rush Hour taunted, rolling out his ankle.

Bee threw his hands up in the air and was about to respond when he noticed Rebar approaching the fallen giantess. "no, uuhfm, but I think she is."

Rush Hour turned his head back to Valerie alarmed, his eyes beginning to pulse before he grabbed at his face. _'Fuck! I'm out of time!' _blood coming out of his tear ducts. He recoiled and began running toward Rebar, completely forgetting about the villain behind him. His only focus being on getting Valerie out of danger.

Adrian watched the scene play out up until the point, half dazed from his injuries and the other half from Rush Hour's constant seeming control of time. His clarity coming back into focus as he heard the squeak of Rush Hour making a hard turn around. running at Rebar. In that moment his eyes went wide. following the trail of Bee lifting his arm with a glob of heated wax formed around his hand. His feet moved before he could think, gritting his teeth under the weight of bandolier loosening and letting his blood drip on the ground. Each step feeling like an eternity for Adrian.

_'I. wont. Let you!' _his mind firing to life. Adrenaline fueled his body, diving in front of Bee's shot of wax just as Rush Hour close-lined Rebar's back with his arm. Adrian's body flying into one of the flood lights, shattering it with his weight.

The lights of the dome came to life with a green man's face looking down at the group. "Jesus Bee, you made a mess of this mission, didn't you?"

All the room looked up at the person on the screen. This gave Rebar enough time to claw his way away from Rush Hour who was too busy pulling Valerie out of the way to notice.

"extraction, NOW!" Bee roared, running up to rebar and holding up the device on his jacket. His eyes flicking wildly between the pro Hero who was now making his way toward them.

Glitch raised an eyebrow but proceeded to type a few keys, the lines of code in his eyes moving significantly faster. The center of the dome darkened out, and Rebar and Bee seemed to pixelate in front of Rush Hour who stared at them darkly with his bloodied Visor. Then they vanished upwards in a shaft of light. Valerie struggling over to Adrian's body who was currently barely conscious and staring up at the dome.

"It's ok Adrian, I'm here its ok I'm here…" she started yelling over to Rush hour who jogged over to them along with the other students. they were talking frantically but the noises of their voice were mostly muted to Adrian, who could feel himself slipping. He could make out someone trying their phone, and Rush Hour grabbing at the strap on his chest. Before his vision faded entirely, he swore he saw Rush Hour's lips pursed around the word hero… but then he was gone.

**Rush Hour! **

**QUIRK**: Chronal-Shift! **RN: **?

He can stop time for up to three minutes a day!

**Affiliations**: Nevada State Hero Representative.

**Birthday**: 10/31

**Blood Type**: A+

**Likes**: BlackJack


End file.
